Venue Review: The Crab & Lobster, Asenby, North Yorkshire
You could be forgiven for believing that you are a mere pebble throw from the beach when you set foot into the Crab & Lobster pub and cast an eye over the tantalising fish menu. You can almost sense the bracing salty whiff of a sea breeze and hear the gentle crashing of the waves on the shore, yet this idyllic 17th century thatched Munchkin cottage sits in seven acres of garden, lakes and streams in Asenby, North Yorkshire - some half an hour from the nearest coastline.
Indeed owner David Barnard has gone to great pains to create a seafood pub that is second to none and this year he and his wife scooped the coveted AA Best Seafood Pub in Britain Award, sponsored by the Seafish Industry Authority.
Although the menu evolves constantly to ensure that there is never a customer that can be described as 'the one that got away', dishes such as fish bouillabaisse, Thai fishcakes, Goan fish curry and Moroccan tagine of salmon and tiger prawns can be found on this eclectic menu which is made up of 75 per cent fish dishes.
Painstaking attention has been paid to the ambience of the pub with bric-a-brac and antiques creating an unusual treasure trove atmosphere, but primarily the pub has become renowned for the quality of its seafood.
David attributes his success to two factors - the quality of the fish he prepares and research. "I have a network of excellent fish suppliers around the country and we have at least two fresh fish deliveries per day," he explained.
"The difference between feeling freshly caught fish and frozen or stored fish is literally as defined as the difference between the flesh of a 17-year old man and a 65-year old man - the muscle tone and firmness of the flesh is that disparate."
